Model Airplane News – August 2019

10 ModelAirplaneNews.com

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Slip-Free Cuts

Straightedge rulers tend to slide when you run

a knife along them to strip balsa or make cuts

in covering. To help guide your blade with more

authority, use a cork-backed stainless-steel ruler.

Th e cork grips slippery surfaces and allows you to

create a straight cut on your balsa or covering. Th e

cool thing is that these rulers will fl ex and follow the

contour of a wing or fuselages. A cork-backed ruler

can also be used for marking panel lines on your

sport-scale plane. Since the edge is lifted slightly

from the surface, your marking pen won’t bleed

under the edge.

Dave Williams, Walpole, Massachusetts

Easy Dual-Servos Connector

When your aircraft has more than one aileron and/or fl ap servo, the wiring
connectors can become a problem every time you try to attach the wing.
Here’s how to make this task shorter, easier, and safer. Glue the two female
connectors from the receiver together at the fuselage, making sure that
they are both aligned perfectly; use just a touch of CA to do the job. Add
a spacer to separate the two male plugs from the servos so that they
align properly with the female connectors. Glue the spacer between both
male connectors back far enough so that the plugs will fi t into the female
connectors completely. Color-code or mark the connectors so that you
can identify and properly plug them in together.
John Phillips, Mesa, Arizona

Soft Grip

When it comes to soldering

wires together, I use a holding jig

called a “Helping Hand”; it is a stiff

wire with an alligator clip on the end,

and it is attached to a weighted base.

But when soldering fi ne-gauge wire,

however, the clips can damage insulation

or the wire can slip between the “teeth” of

the clip. I found that sliding lengths of silicone

fuel tubing on the clips (as shown) solves the

problem. It’s an easy fi x that doesn’t cost much.

Peter Hall, Kalispell, Missouri

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USEFUL HINTS FROM MODELERS |ILLUSTRATIONS BY RICHARD THOMPSON

Hinge Bevel

Cutting a 45-degree hinge line in foam is not always

easy, but here’s a method that will give you consistent

and perfectly clean cuts every time. Find a fl at piece of

1-inch pine wood; it should be wide enough to attach

to the surfaces that will be cut. Using a table saw,

cut a 45-degree angle the full length on one side of

the board. Align the control surface to be cut along

the 45-degree edge of the wood, and pin the control

surface down. Use a box cutter/razor-type blade and

hold it fi rmly against the wood as you cut the foam. You

now have a perfectly cut 45-degree hinge line.

Jeff Th ompson, Frederick, Maryland